The invention relates to a device for holding flexible tube dispensers, such as those containing toothpaste, glue or ointment.
A variety of products are distributed in squeezable tube dispensers whereby the product contained therein is extruded from the dispenser by manual dispensing pressure. The use of such tubes has always been hampered by the tendency of the product contained therein to move in both longitudinal directions within the tube, i.e., both rearward away from the dispenser opening and forward toward the dispenser outlet opening when pressure is applied to the tube. This problem has been aggravated by the use, in recent times, of plastic and other elastomeric compositions or substances to form the tubes. Such substances have a very high elastic limit and such tubes, even if carefully flattened and folded or rolled, tend to gradually unfold allowing product contained therein to easily flow in both directions when dispensing pressure is applied. It is not necessary that a seal be formed between the rolled and unrolled portions when the tube is folded or rolled but merely that there be a sufficient restriction created to cause resistance to the rearward flow of product during dispensing of the product.
A variety of devices have been proposed for use with collapsible tubes. In general, such devices have frequently proposed a combination of an exterior housing and turning key, whereby a key was attached to one end of the tube and the combination of the tube and key were inserted into the housing. Such devices are shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,910,460 to Hausmann and U.S. Pat. No. 4,576,314 to Elias. A clamp device has also been proposed by Wright, U.S. Pat. No. 4,159,787.
Further, U.S. Pat. No. 3,458,110 to A. K. Goldman teaches the use of a clip in combination with a reclosable container to seal the container after it is opened. The Goldman closure clip is designed specifically to tightly reseal a "container of paper board or the like having a gable top with a central laminar rib across the top." The Goldman clip is not intended for removal from the container once it is initially attached or for use with rolled or folded plastic or elastomeric substances which tend to gradually unfold. It is intended to slide along the rib and tightly seal the closure. Further yet, since the device of Goldman needs to create a tightly sealed closure, the ends of the clip are merely slit (not gapped) and the resilient nature of the materials urge the slit toward closure. There is no teaching that the clip may be removed from a particular container, or that once removed, the clip may be reused or reattached to the particular container.